Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 26, 2026
Application No. 19/106,113

System and Method for Determining a Wear State of a Wearable Computing Device

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Feb 24, 2025
Priority
Aug 23, 2022 — provisional 63/400,339 +1 more
Examiner
HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
Art Unit
2685
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Google LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
82%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
6m
Est. Remaining
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 82% — above average
82%
Career Allowance Rate
954 granted / 1158 resolved
+20.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +14% lift
Without
With
+14.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 2m
Avg Prosecution
17 currently pending
Career history
1173
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
4.1%
-35.9% vs TC avg
§103
49.6%
+9.6% vs TC avg
§102
23.1%
-16.9% vs TC avg
§112
9.8%
-30.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1158 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu (US 20210118564). Regarding claim 20, (Original) A computer-implemented method for determining a wear state of a wearable computing device, the method comprising: obtaining, via one or more processors of the wearable computing device, impedance data generated by an impedance sensor of the wearable computing device during a period of time; (“The first electrode 111 and the first electrode 112 are both located at the bottom of the housing, and when the housing is worn on a human body, the first electrode 111 and the first electrode 112 come into contact with human tissue; when the human tissue or other metal objects come into contact with the first electrode 111 and the first electrode 112, capacitance signals of the first electrode 111 and the first electrode 112 will change, and an impedance signal between the first electrode 111 and the first electrode 112 will decrease. Therefore, the impedance signal between the first electrode 111 and the first electrode 112, and/or the capacitance signal of the first electrode 111 and/or the first electrode 112 can be obtained through the first electrode 111 and the first electrode 112, so as to judge whether there is human tissue or metal.” Liu: paragraph 86) calculating, via the one or more processors, an admittance value of the impedance sensor for the period of time based, at least in part, on the impedance data; determining, via the one or more processors, that the wear state of the wearable computing device for the period of time corresponds to an on-wrist state in which the wearable computing device is being worn by a user or an off-wrist state in which the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user based, at least in part, on the admittance value calculated; (“The embodiment of the present application is described by taking an example in which the first electrical signal is at least one impedance signal, then the judging the worn state of the wearable device according to the first electrical signal and the at least one first optical signal includes: judging the worn state of the wearable device according to the at least one impedance signal and the at least one first optical signal. In a possible implementation, the worn state of the wearable device may be judged through one impedance signal and one or more first optical signals, and the worn state of the wearable device may also be judged through a plurality of impedance signals and one or more first optical signals. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the adopted impedance signal and first optical signal, as well as the quantity of the impedance signal and the quantity of the first optical signal. Additionally, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the specific implementation of how to judge the worn state of the wearable device according to at least one impedance signal and at least one first optical signal.” Liu: paragraph 96 & “By determining the target impedance signal of the at least one impedance signal through setting the first preset range and through judging whether the impedance signal is within the first preset range, the impedance signal that satisfies detecting a human body or metal can be determined, where a smaller impedance signal indicates that a distance between human tissue or metal and the first electrode is smaller, and thus the wearing quality is higher” Liu: paragraph 99; admittance is merely the inverse of impedance and therefore measuring one inherently measures the other) and performing, via the one or more processors, a control action based, at least in part, on the wear state of the wearable computing device. (“determine the wearing quality to be inferior and/or remind a user of inferior wearing quality, if a quantity of an impedance signal, which is within a third preset range, of the at least one impedance signal exceeds a third preset threshold, and/or, a quantity of the first optical signal, which is within a fourth preset range, of the at least one first optical signal exceeds a fourth preset threshold.” Liu: paragraph 63) Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-19 are allowed. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art does not disclose nor suggest a method or device for determining the wear state of a wearable computing device that obtains proximity data during a first time period and based on that data activating an impedance sensor that determines impedance data during a second period of time different from the first period then obtaining second proximity data during the second period of time and determines the wear state of the device is one of off, on with contact, or on without contact based on the second proximity and impedance data. Conclusion Related Art: US 20240345628 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state US 20240008340 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state US 20230337981 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state US 20230309896 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state US 20230118148 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state US 20220256271 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state US 20220192585 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state US 20150301608 A1 – wearable device with determination of wear-state Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS R HUNNINGS whose telephone number is (571)272-3118. The examiner can normally be reached M: 6-7:30a, 9:30a-4:45p, 8:30-10p; T: 6-7:30a, 12-4p, 7:30p-12a; W: 6-7:30a, 9:30a-4:45p; H: 6-7:30a, 8:15a-4:45p; F: 12:00-4:45p. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta Goins can be reached at 571-272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /TRAVIS R HUNNINGS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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Prosecution Timeline

Feb 24, 2025
Application Filed
Sep 21, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
82%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+14.0%)
2y 2m (~6m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1158 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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